9 May 44 BCE: To Atticus (at Rome) from Cicero (at Pompeii)
Cicero is now 'very hostile' towards Dolabella. He despairs.
You often have a go at me for seeming to praise what Dolabella has done too highly. Yet, although I do clearly approve of his action, still, I was lead to praise him so much by one of your letters—and then a second! But Dolabella has completely alienated himself from you, for the same reason that he has also made me very hostile towards him. Impudent man! On January 1st he owed me money; he still has not repaid it, even though he has freed himself from a huge amount of debt through Faberius’ handwriting, and has sought opulence from Ops.1 I can joke about this, in case you think I am really upset. I also sent him a letter on the 8th, in the early morning, and that same evening at Pompeii I received a letter from you, which reached me quite quickly, after only three days. But as I wrote to you that same day, I sent Dolabella a quite prickly letter. If that fails to achieve anything, I think he will not be able to bear to see me in person.
I imagine that you have dealt with the business with Albius. About the debt to Patulcius, it is very kind of you, and very like yourself, to have helped me out. I felt I had left Eros as someone suited to sort out this type of thing; he is a great deal to blame for things being in such a state. But I will see to it with him myself. About Montanus, as I have often written to you, the whole situation is your responsibility.
I am not at all surprised that Servius spoke despairingly to you as he set out, nor will I admit that I despair any less than him. If our Brutus, that unique man, does not come to the Senate on June 1st, I do not know what he will do in the forum.2 But he will deal with that better than I. From what I see being prepared, I judge that the Ides of March did not accomplish much. And so I think about Greece more and more every day. Nor do I see how I could be of much use to my dear Brutus, who as he writes himself, is thinking on exile.
I did not like Leonidas’ letter much. I agree with you about Herodes. I would like to have read Saufeius’ letter. I am planning on leaving Pompeii on May 10th.
Read Ad Atticum 14.18 in Latin here | Check the glossary here
The translation ‘sought opulence from Ops’ (opem ob Ope petierit) is borrowed from Shackleton Bailey, after I tried and failed to come up with a better pun. ops is both the word for wealth/plenty, and the name of the Goddess of wealth/plenty, whose temple Dolabella and Antony ‘borrowed’ from. Possibly the money that Dolabella owed to Cicero was Tullia’s dowry, which he had to repay after she divorced him.
i.e. in public life generally. Brutus had left Rome soon after the Ides of March for his own safety. His not returning for the important Senate meeting on June 1st would be seen as a complete withdrawal from politics.